The White House's Meme Strategy Backfires in the Midst of a Government Shutdown
As millions of Americans grapple with furloughs, food insecurity, and rising anxiety over a month-long government shutdown, the Trump administration has taken an unexpected approach to communication. Instead of addressing the growing concerns of the public, the White House has turned to humor—specifically, a Halloween-themed meme that sparked widespread backlash.
The post, shared by the official White House account on X, featured a ghost emoji alongside images of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The caption read, “Choose wisely…” and included a series of humorous but problematic tags. For example, Jeffries was shown wearing a sombrero with the caption, “Includes -sombrero – one filibuster speech no one remembers Not included – common sense.” This mischaracterization led to confusion, as Jeffries, a member of the House, has never engaged in a filibuster—the practice is not allowed in the House.
The post also included a photo of Vance with the caption, “Includes – the word please – you didn’t say thank you memes Not included – fat JD curly hair.” While the comment was clearly meant to be lighthearted, it came across as unflattering and raised questions about how the administration views its own vice president.
Social media users were quick to react. One user questioned, “Does the intern running the white house page not know Hakeem Jeffries and Cory Booker are different people?” Others criticized the tone of the post, calling it tasteless and inappropriate for an official government account. One person wrote, “Official government account is tweeting lame ass insults to other politicians … This administration is a joke.” Another said, “So tasteless. To think that the official White House page would be posting something like this. All class gone.”
Instead of responding to the criticism, Vance chose to embrace the joke. For Halloween, he dressed up as his own viral caricature, complete with a wild wig and a self-parodying message: “Happy Halloween everyone, remember to say thank you while you trick or treat!” He posted a video of himself on X, and the White House reshared the image, further amplifying the spectacle. However, critics saw this as an attempt to downplay the embarrassment rather than address it.
Some users compared the situation to a high school bully trying to be funny. One Threads user wrote, “This is like the bullied kid in high school becoming self-deprecating and pretending everyone is actually laughing with him instead of at him.” Others felt that Vance was “trying too hard to be funny,” with one person stating, “Good lord. What a disaster!!!!” Another added, “You are the world’s laughing stock.”
The timing of the meme could not have been worse. As the government remains shut down, 42 million Americans face the suspension of SNAP benefits starting November 1. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the disruption, accusing Senate Democrats of “deliberate obstruction.” Meanwhile, a Washington Post poll shows that 45 percent of Americans now blame Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, compared to 33 percent who fault Democrats.
Despite the crisis, the White House has continued to lean into meme culture rather than focus on damage control. This includes the earlier use of AI-generated videos featuring Jeffries in a sombrero and Schumer in a fake-Latino accent. Jeffries called the videos “disgusting” and “racist and fake,” while Vance defended them as harmless. The White House even replayed the clip on loop during a press briefing, with a spokesperson declaring, “The sombreros will continue until the Democrats reopen the government!”
Critics argue that the administration’s focus on humor and political jabs comes at the expense of addressing real issues facing the American public. As families wait for their paychecks, healthcare benefits, and agency operations to resume, the White House continues to prioritize meme culture over meaningful action.
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